The ‘Vehicle Mounted Highway Refuse Collector’ presents a unique and non-obvious means to clear the highways and Interstates of refuse at highway speeds without any requirement to cordon off a section of the roadway. This refuse collector is designed to collect tire treads that have come loose from vehicles, and the furniture pieces fallen onto the roadway, and even the dead animals killed on the roadway wherein all such items would be collected and stored for later cleanout, and all of these items without slowing down. Centrifugal force drives the object around the inside of the collector cylinder onto a storage shelf to be retained until the shelf is full, and then taken by the vehicle to a cleanout station. The impact of these objects provides the requisite force, and the operator has a viewing window to see when the shelf is full, and cleanout is needed. The gathering of these objects is very much like the work of a snowplow is its impact and function, but in this configuration it is a good deal faster and at higher speeds.
Snowplow means that are cited as prior art contain features that allow the blade of the plow to scrape the surface of a roadway, and the blade's management of impacts with fixed objects, and on some the use of wheels and skids to keep the plow blade just above the hard surface of the road to reduce wear. In many of the examples of the prior art the elements and features used in snowplowing are germane to this invention in selected relevant items as to be discussed to follow:
Citations for these U.S. Patents concerning snowplows are on the opening Reference Page:
7,028,423Apr. 18, 2006Curry37/2366,701,646Mar. 9, 2004Schultz et al.37/2326,640,468Nov. 4, 2003Menze37/2346,574,890Jun. 10, 2003Bateman, Jr.37/2646,560,905May 13, 2003Monroe37/2486,351,898Mar. 5, 2002Lewis et al.37/1976,323,759Nov. 27, 2001Menze340/425.56,163,985Dec. 26, 2000Chinnery et al.37/2346,073,371Jun. 13, 2000Goos et al.37/2325,806,213Sep. 15, 1998Doornek et al.37/231
In the first cited patent of inventor Floyd E. Curry [ . . . 423] examples are shown and described on the lifting up means of the snowplow blade, and the tripping spring means when the blade strikes a fixed object, and the spring pressure means to keep the plow's weight as a force to scrape the roadway. While this invention in application does not use such means directly, they do offer concepts of the blade operation that is similar to the refuse collector.
In the second cited patent of inventors Lynn W. Schultz, Timothy G. Koch, and Terry C. Wendoff [ . . . 646] a better means in the use of ‘trip’ springs is shown, and the support means to contain the forces when the blade strikes a fixed object. While in this application the use of a system of trip springs is used, but their this unit is heavier and requires a heavier support system, thus, the refuse collector is not a lighter blade but uses the spring means for protection from fixed objects, and in the general operating structure for protection of the equipment. These trip springs are then not claimed in this patent application.
In the third cited patent of Peter C. Menze [ . . . 468] and again in his seventh cited patent [ . . . 759] Inventor Menze concerns the operation and management of the snowplow and shows unusual means to set the height of the blade and its resultant pressure to scrape snow from a roadway; and in the patent . . . 759 is shown the complete operating and attachment assembly for a snowplow that is somewhat as in this refuse collector, but he is concerned with the diagnostic and connection system for a plowing vehicle and most importantly when a problem occurs warning the vehicle's operator. It would seem that some features of Inventor Menze's patents [and his other patents also] do offer better control of any such ‘pushing’ device, and as such, can influence the operation and the use of this refuse collector, but no direct citation or claim for such is in this patent application.
In the fourth cited patent of Donald A. Bateman, Jr. [ . . . 890] wherein a curved blade is designed to perform as a bucket to lift snow shown attached to a specialty vehicle seen as a ‘front end loader’, and in Inventor Bateman's drawings the bucket is shown as a competent loader bucket with ‘wear’ plate means available. Features as shown in his patent would influence the use of a ‘bucket’ to clear away snow, but his vehicle as shown is not designed for highway or Interstate speeds, and in this patent application such speeds are normal and essential to the centrifugal forces available. Inventor Bateman's design is more for clearing out a vehicle parking lot, lifting up and transferring snow, typical for a front end loader, and not for any service intended in this patent application.
In the fifth cited patent of James C. Monroe [ . . . 905] wherein is seen a small supporting wheel that can help carry the weight and can dictate the clearance over the surface, and all is within an enclosed body that covers to working members for safety. Additionally, Inventor Monroe uses stiff replaceable fingers as in a stiff brush to grasp and propel snow and/or debris into a discharge tube to be expelled from the device. While the support wheel and the enclosure means is shown in this patent application, the use is just accommodating and no direct claim for such means is sought in this patent application.
In the sixth cited patent of Scott Lewis, Mike Weege, and Greg Noah [ . . . 898] wherein is seen a simple but seemingly effectively lever shaft that measures and senses the height selected by an adjustable rotating nut as set by the operator of the vehicle performing the work of snowplowing. While in this invention application, the height of the supporting wheels can be adjusted if requisite, there would be no sensor means, just mechanical adjustment, and thus, there is no claim for such sensor/indicator uses.
The seventh cited patent was discussed in Menze's patent number three.
In the eighth cited patent of Ronald Thomas Chinnery and Lynn Edon Richardson [ . . . 985] wherein the position control for lifting, adjusting, or turning the snowplow is set inside of the vehicle's cab for ease of selection and remote operation, and these are detailed and described in depth in their patent. In this invention patent application controls are employed that are basic and as needed for work, and no claim ensues from Inventors Chinnery's and Ms. Richardson's work
In the ninth cited patent of Mary Goos et al. [8 others listed] [ . . . 371] wherein a spring means is seen compressing upon an impact with a fixed object, and the visuals in the drawings are impressive showing the impact and spring forces. This patent of Inventors Goos and others shows the need for impact protection and means, but in our invention being applied for as seen in FIG. 5, the springs would extend upor impact with a fixed object and not compress.
In the tenth cited patent of James R. Doornek and Gerald A. Lutzke [ . . . 213] wherein when a vehicle is detached from its snowplow that these rotatable support wheels and/or skids swing to support the detached weight of the snowplow. What is seen in this invention patent application would be the support wheels/skids being in place for the time of operating the refuse collector, and they would remain in place when the refuse collector is detached to continue its support.
Citations for these U.S. Patents with rotating brushes and ground surface collecting and cleaning means are from the Reference Page:
7,654,478Feb. 2, 2010Lehman  241/24.147,322,177Jan. 29, 2008Geraghty 56/3447,281,296Oct. 16, 2007Strauser 15/3486,854,157Feb. 15, 2005Strauser  15/340.46,154,911Dec. 5, 2000Vanderlinden15/856,122,797Sep. 26, 2000Vanderlinden 15/3466,006,390Dec. 28, 1999Bischel et al.15/825,850,656Dec. 22, 1998Smith et al.15/845,745,947May 5, 1998Liu et al.15/845,596,784Jan. 28, 1997Tolmachoff15/834,328,290May 11, 1982Dickson et al.15/844,044,422Aug. 30, 1977Larsen 15/340
In this classification—mostly, street sweepers—any such relevant features shall be divided into categories for convenience and expedience with the first being front loading vehicles and systems. In any and all of these devices and machines, the operational speeds are to be low, typically, as in city streets and parking lots, and not at the higher speeds of the refuse collector that can operate even up to the interstate speeds of 65 to 75 miles per hour.
Selected in category one would be the U.S. patents of Leroy C. Lehman [ . . . 478]; and Kaibai Liu et al. [ . . . 947]; and then David Tolmachoff [ . . . 784] wherein all are front loading machines, “ . . . 478” presents a full service trash harvester comprising gleaning, sorting, shredding, and storage means all in one environmentally friendly device; and then “ . . . 947” assigned to The Toro Company with rows and rows of resilient fingers gleaning and directing trash into its collector drum with the means to deliver its trash into a storage hopper for transport and eventual clean-out; and finally, “ . . . 784” wherein in addition to resilient fingers is seen, paddles, sweeps, rotary rakes visible to the operator in a boom system that sweeps, cajoles, and gathers all that it can to convey into rearward storage hopper for transport and clean-out. All of these devices show ingenuity and innovation in a high degree, but, of course, none can match what is being applied for here.
In the next category is seen “ . . . 177” demonstrates skillful approaches to gathering and gleaning material off of the ground with steel tines as a rake as it is moved along the ground and then fed onto a conveyor system that in turn delivers the trash into a storage hopper for later disposal. This clever device is not shown nor described a push-along or pull-along, and it even includes a rotary brush to spin off the dirt/earth accumulated in its operation. In the patent “ . . . 296” an efficient device includes filters and a vacuum assembly to clean up the gathered trash, and is installed on a specialty vehicle designed for a slow speed operation, typically, a parking lot. In the third cited example, “ . . . 390” a front end loader as seen in other patents to power the push unit with a large rotary brush, but in this patent the use of hydraulic power is shown from a powered pump to ancillary hydraulic motors operating selected features of this machine, and this use of a support wheel under the unit to help carry the weight and position the brush surface to its work surface. Selectively, some elements and features can be seen in this invention application, and as such would also be in use in many other machines similar, but these are not claimable in this application.
In the final category is seen many patents that are positioned under and in the middle of the collecting vehicle. The patent “ . . . 157” includes environmentally friendly means of a vacuum and of filtering wherein the material collected is contained in a safe and up-to-date manner for disposal. In “ . . . 911” the system of rotary brush sweeping the ground is using mechanical means to gather and collect; and in “ . . . 797” of the same inventor, Roger Vanderlinden of Canada, the brushing system is using air means to gather, collect and propel debris into the storage hopper provided. In “ . . . 656” a centralized ‘collector roller’ that serves to gather debris off of the road surface and then deliver same to a collector hopper by the means of specialized rubber fingers that are gleaned of their debris. In “ . . . 603” a rearward gathering means is provided upon a vehicle, and various hydraulic motors are available to actuate and serve to deliver the road debris into a storage hopper. In “ . . . 422” an air recirculation pickup hood gathers the road debris and continuous air delivery moves the debris into the storage hopper. What these prior art examples provide would be seen in various details used in other patents, including to some extent in this NPA, but all deliver their gathering services at low speeds and cannot serve at highway speeds. What can be discerned from such prior art is of interest, but as such, none can be claimed in the application.
In the several remaining prior art patents cited, there are features of interest to show examples of the art in servo systems and one example of an entrainment means. In U.S. Pat. No. 7,631,442 issued Dec. 15, 2009 to James A. Kost & Robert L. Potak, both of Ohio, and assigned to Louis Berkman Winter Products Company of Cleveland, Ohio wherein examples of the uses for hydraulic power to lift, to move around, to support at rest, and to tilt as needed are shown. The hydraulic power assembly is well presented and packaged and put to use, but it is not different from the many uses of such seen today. The inventors in their FIG. 12 show details of ‘in-cab’ locations for the controls to activate their snowplow system, and again while well presented, such can be seen in commercial units available on the market today, and of course would not be claimable in this application.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,116,846 issued Sep. 12, 2000 to Neil Buckley of Pennsylvania, and not shown assigned wherein an extensible and articulating framework is shown that projects forward of a vehicle supporting a ‘front end loader’ assembly that by hydraulic control means can be lifted and then dumped. What is of interest here is the type of bucket enclosure, and attachment to vehicle, and the various hydraulic servo systems to perform the work. However, as previously stated, none are claimed herein.
Now, for the best of prior art, the “Tire Tread Catcher”, a real time example of one function of the ‘Vehicle Front Mounted Highway Refuse Collector’, as the capture of thrown off tire treads wherein Inventor Ryan M. Rea has U.S. Pat. No. 5,967,554 issued Oct. 19, 1999 shows an entrapment means consisting of a “canister that catches tread as they are thrown off tire[s] and a housing surrounding the tire[s] to funnel and direct tread and road debris to the canister. The canister is attached to a truck or trailer undercarriage adjacent to and right behind the tires.” [source: Abstract, lines 1-5] His is an invention not seen today as the enclosure would be bulky and awkward, and the chance of really catching a torn off tread would be small, and the additional cost would be high, and so, it is not a strong factor in the marketplace. In this invention application, not only are loose and torn off tire treads sought, but other debris as well, including dead animals killed on the roadway, and other items, such loose pieces of furniture, or scrap discards, and such that falls out upon a highway or Interstate.
In the Patent Application Publication 2010/0319224 issued Dec. 23, 2010 to Syamal K. Ghosh, and not shown assigned, entitled: “Wear Resistant Support Structures for Utility Equipment wherein a rolling beveled support is shown, also known as a ‘shoe’ as described in the snowplow and blade patents that lifts the blade up somewhat above the road surface and helps bear the heavy weight. Inventor Ghosh improves the known art and offers wear resistant ‘ceramic’ as an insert to extend the useful life of this element. Although this invention is far heavier than his cited utility equipment, the lift of the equipment above the road surface is accomplished by strong wheeled assemblies, and thus has been developed beyond the ‘shoe’ herein shown.
In the Patent Application Publication 2008/0263907 issued Oct. 30, 2008 to Kent Winter, and not shown assigned, entitled: “Road Machinery Blade Wear Resistors” wherein “Each replaceable wear part can comprise a hard, impact resistant metal of high shear strength having at least one cavity filled with an abrasion resistant weldment or resistor.” [source: Abstract, lines 6-9] Inventor Winter shows a good means to reduce undue wear, but wherein in this invention the heavier weight and higher speed of operation has dictated the use of wheeled assemblies.
In the Patent Application Publication 2007/0193073 issued Aug. 23, 2007 to Bernard A. Doak, and not shown assigned, entitled: “Snow Plow Dolly” wherein one among the many similar devices are to be seen in the patent prior art, such is shown added outside of the plow blade assembly, and of a thin hard wearing type that can cut through the snow on a roadway keeping the blade elevated sufficiently above the road surface and help bear some of the weight of the blade. Inventor Doak's device does aid the operation of a snowplow blade, wherein in this invention application the considerably heavier weight and the high speed operation requires larger high tires and wheels to perform its work of refuse collection.
In this invention application, all sorts of debris, even bulky items can be managed at highway speeds, and saving the time and risk of cordoning off a lane of high speed traffic. Needless deaths occur every year involved with the management of the highway trash removal, and time and equipment lost being involved with such trash removal, and in this unique and non-obvious invention there is an expedient solution without such deaths and risks. Consider the descriptions and drawings of the invention to follow that will show how such an accomplishment is achieved.